Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for transferring data where data of a first type is transferred to a node using a protocol, and where second data, of a type not included in the protocol, is made available for retrieval by the node.
Description of the Related Technology
In communications systems, protocols are defined to enable the transfer of data between different network nodes. Any given protocol may specify a number of aspects of how data is to be transferred. Data of a first type, included in the protocol, can be transferred using that protocol. Data of a second type, not included in the protocol, may not be transferable.
Any number of factors may differentiate the data of the first type from that of the second. For example, a given protocol may specify certain data fields. Data capable of being transferred according to the protocol, i.e. data of the first type, must correspond to one of the specified fields. Data which does not correspond to a specified field, i.e. data of the second type, is not included in the protocol and therefore cannot be easily transferred.
When it is desired for data of this second type to be transferred from a first to a second node, the typical solution is to update the protocol to include this second type of data; in other words by updating a legacy protocol standard to include new fields. However this can be difficult for a number of reasons. For example, any given first node (the sending node) may need to be able to communicate with multiple second (receiving) nodes. Where only a subset of the second nodes require the data of the second type, ensuring compatibility between the first node and all of the second nodes can be difficult. Additionally, in some systems, the data is transferred from the first to the second node via one or more third nodes. Therefore, updating the protocol requires updating not only the first and second nodes, but all the third nodes as well. This can be difficult, especially when the third nodes are operated by organizations other than those operating the first and second nodes.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide methods and systems which enable the transfer of such data.